MDANTSANE - Police are cracking down on schools here amid classroom drug abuse by pupils that is reaching epidemic proportions.

Under the banner of "Operation Gqogqo", police yesterday made surprise raids on two Zone 1 schools here in search of drugs or illicit material.

About 40 officers surrounded Mzomhle High School and Buchule Technical High School while Inspector Mike Runeli, of the dog unit, and his canine partner King searched classrooms.

Police also lined up pupils inside their classes and body-searched them.

Going through their school bags King found a hidden parcel of dagga in a Grade 11 class at Buchule Technical High.

The principals of the two schools told the Saturday Dispatch that they had recently discussed with police the possibility of searching their schools for drugs, but yesterday's raid had come as a complete surprise.

Commending police for the operation, Mzomhle High School principal Mluleki Msutu said drug-trafficking and drug abuse were the major problems facing the school.

He said some pupils, including two aged between 12 and 14, had recently publicly confessed at a parents' meeting to using drugs. The majority of children at that meeting then went on to relate how they had become drug users.

Many of these children were from broken homes or had lost their parents due to HIV-Aids, he said.

Msutu said drug-related incidents were spiralling amid general unruliness and a total breakdown of discipline among pupils.

He estimated that at least two children in each class were using drugs.

Buchule Technical High School teacher Noluthano Ntshaqa said: "Children are carrying pills and dagga. They smoke these drugs in the toilets."

Another teacher, Xoliswa Mpofu, expressed concerned about drug- smuggling at school.

In King William's Town, drug abuse in schools has become so problematic that teachers, parents, police and government departments have embarked on a vigorous anti- drug abuse campaign.

Police Captain Thozama Solani said "no school is clean" and an average of three complaints per school each week were being reported to police in the greater King William's Town area.

"In the past seven months we have been receiving a number of complaints weekly from both school principals and concerned community members about drug and alcohol abuse in schools," he said.

"We used to receive one report per month per school or nothing at all."

In raids in some schools last week police and teachers found drugs - including dagga and tablets - knives and drug-smoking devices on some learners.

"Teachers found some learners high on drugs or drunk within school premises," said Solani.

That prompted an urgent meeting between parents and the authorities at which it was decided to hold a summit to draw up a plan of action at the Breidbach Civic Hall at 10am on Tuesday.

Youth structures, anti-drug abuse non-governmental organisations and government departments like Safety and Liaison, Social Development, Health, Education as well police will attend.

"We do not want to act after a learner has died, but want to prevent incidents that could ruin a learner's life," Solani said.